The gender digital divide refers to the disparity between men and women in terms of access to and use of digital technologies like the Internet and mobile devices. While digital technology adoption is at an all-time high globally, the gap widens when considering adoption and the range of services women use. In lower-middle-income countries, women are less likely to own a smartphone or make their own device purchasing decisions, further limiting their digital engagement. This divide remains one of the most persistent structural barriers to global gender equality yet the least discussed, with profound implications for economic development, social justice, and human rights. This disparity widens dramatically in least-developed countries (LDCs), where only 19% of women had internet access in 2020 compared to 86% of women in high-income nations.
The Current Scope of the Gender Digital Divide
Global Disparities and Economic Impact
Globally, women are 21% less likely to be online than men, with this gap dramatically widening to 52% in Least Developed Countries(LDCs). This disparity beyond technological imbalance presents a profound economic opportunity cost.
The economic consequences are particularly severe for low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), which have collectively lost over $1 trillion USD in GDP due to gender disparities in internet access and use. Research indicates that closing the digital gender gap in these countries could generate an estimated $524 billion in additional economic activity.
Regional Variations and Income Correlation
The severity of the gender digital divide correlates strongly with national income levels and regional factors. Gender pay gaps further excaberate the problem of connectivity for women. As observed by a report published by the OECD, approximately 327 million fewer women than men worldwide have smartphone access and mobile internet connectivity. On average, women are 26% less likely than men to own a smartphone, with this disadvantage reaching alarming levels in South Asia (70%) and Africa (34%). With a global gender pay gap where women only make 77 cents for every dollar men earn, women in lower-middle-income countries are priced out of digital access. Lower rates of digital access among women mean there is a technical limitation to what women can do which translates into lower rates of meaningful connectivity.
These factors restrict women’s access to digital financial services, educational resources, healthcare information, and crucially, employment opportunities—thus perpetuating broader socioeconomic inequalities.
Recent Progress and Persistent Challenges
There are encouraging signs of progress amid these concerning statistics. Over the past five years, more than 50% of women in lower-middle-income countries now use mobile internet, marking significant improvement. The gender gap in mobile internet usage has narrowed since 2017, with particularly notable progress in South Asia, driven largely by more affordable data plans and the increasing availability of low-cost LTE-enabled devices. However, this progress is unevenly distributed. Sub-Saharan Africa has seen comparatively less closure of the gender gap in digital access, highlighting the need for regionally tailored approaches to digital inclusion.
Barriers to Access and Participation
The Web Foundation’s Women’s Rights Online study (2023) reveals that among internet users in rural areas, women were 14% more likely than men to report cost as a limiting factor in their internet usage. Beyond affordability, digital literacy continues to present a significant barrier, with approximately half of female non-internet users citing a lack of technical knowledge as a primary reason for remaining offline, particularly in rural communities.
Online harassment operates as both a cause and consequence of the digital divide. it is estimated that one in ten women have already experienced a form of cyber violence since the age of 15. This online harassment functions as both a cause and consequence of the digital divide, creating a hostile environment that discourages women’s digital participation. Studies have documented how harmful and discriminatory gender norms systematically limit women’s online engagement, even when physical access to technology is available. These cultural barriers often manifest as family restrictions on device usage, monitoring of online activities, and social disapproval of women’s digital presence.
Envisioning a Feminist Internet
A feminist internet means considering all the factors that sideline and ostracize women as a whole and building a digital future that equitably serves all individuals, devoid of the perpetuation of current societal disparities of gender, race, income, age or any other factor. At its core, a feminist internet challenges this status quo by reimagining digital ecosystems as equitable spaces where women can safely access resources, exercise agency, and shape technological innovation. Unlike neutral conceptions of digital access, this approach emphasizes meaningful connectivity—a synthesis of affordable high-speed internet, context-appropriate devices, and freedom from online harassment.
A feminist internet is one where women from all walks of life have unfettered digital access. Access to the internet is a human right, a feminist internet demands that access initiatives specifically consider how gender intersects with other factors like geography, class, and disability to create unique access challenges.
A feminist internet prioritises user-controlled data practices and transparent consent mechanisms. This includes the right to privacy, data ownership, and freedom from surveillance. Currently, women’s data is often exploited without consent, whether through targeted advertising, algorithmic bias, or non-consensual sharing of personal information. This design prioritizes women’s agency and grants them the ability to make informed decisions on how their data is used.
A feminist internet is one that acknowledges that sexism is a feature, not a bug and seeks to eliminate it. It considers how technology, surveillance, and data processing can reproduce, entrench, and deepen various forms of discrimination, marginalisation, and oppression already present in society. A feminist internet fundamentally re-evaluates the structures and power dynamics inherent in technology and data processing.
A feminist internet protection challenges unequal power structures and works toward justice and representation. Women remain vastly underrepresented in tech leadership roles, with men holding a significant percentage of senior positions at major companies. A feminist internet recognises that who designs technology fundamentally shapes how it functions and whom it serves and as such is democratically governed with meaningful input from diverse stakeholders,
A feminist internet connects digital rights with economic rights, recognizing that improving women’s economic position is essential for digital inclusion. A feminist internet challenges the manifestations of capitalism in tech and the unending need for profit and control. It provides fair compensation for all forms of digital labour, including currently undervalued work often performed disproportionately by women.
A feminist internet is one where gender-based violence in digital spaces is acknowledged and taken seriously. This internet treats online violence against women not as an inevitable side effect of connectivity but as a structural barrier to equal participation that must be systematically addressed. It is one where women can openly discuss their realities without being met with harassment, recognizing that censorship has historically been used against women’s speech.